Broccoli may slow cancer growth

Your mother was right: Those little "trees" at the salad bar are good for your health. A new study from the University of Illinois suggests that compounds found in broccoli may slow the growth of certain types of cancers (Journal of Nutrition, 2004, vol. 134, no. 9). Broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, cabbage, brussels sprouts, bok choy, and kale, contain a component called sulforaphane (SUL). The study showed as much as a tenfold slowdown in breast cancer cell growth among rodents given SUL, and the compound appeared to put the brakes on colon cancer cells as well.